BA (Hons) in Contemporary Music (Audio Technology) Sunway University

This program aims to train versatile musicians and music producers. It is both a technical and creative degree program, providing you with solid music theory and academic knowledge while developing your skills in audio technology through studio practice and interdisciplinary collaborative projects. Subjects and areas covered include composition, arrangement, sound design, and film scoring, as well as music theory, history, and aural training.

If you have a strong interest in music, production, sound, and audio technology, this program is ideal for you. It is also open to individuals with no prior formal musical training who are passionate about pursuing a career in music. Graduates will be equipped to work in the music industry as producers, composers, sound engineers, and creative artists; or in the broader creative industries through work on film, TV, video games, theatre, dance, entertainment, and many more.

Intakes

April, and September

Duration

3 Years Full-Time

Why Study Here?

Holistic Education

The US education system is one of the most flexible in the world, offering students unlimited choices of courses and focusing on an all-around learning experience. Adopting the US liberal arts approach of inclusiveness, industry relevance, and flexibility, Sunway ADTP has a strong track record of producing well-rounded students equipped for American higher learning.

Seamless Transfer into American Universities

We engage professors from US universities to deliver parts of our academic content. Each year, more than 100 US universities visit Sunway University providing a valuable opportunity for students to engage with and seek advice from admission counselors. We also host representatives from Western Michigan University (WMU) on campus who provide counseling services to students transferring to WMU.

Academic Mentorship and Support

Each ADTP student is assigned an academic advisor who will provide academic guidance and support. Our student-lecturer engagement is high extending over and beyond the classroom. One in four of our lecturers consistently receives “excellent teaching” awards.

Extracurricular Advantage

Each semester our students engage in out-of-class activities e.g. running projects and charity programs as part of their assignments, volunteering in cultural performances, or participating in international conferences. We celebrate bank holidays like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.

University Placement Guidance

We conduct workshops on all aspects of the transfer process—from selecting suitable universities and preparing applications to transitioning abroad. Our “Freshman Seminars” equip students with skills to succeed as a freshman. Our placement team continually supports students to transfer into “best fit” colleges. We receive study-abroad-semester students from US and non-US universities each year, many of which are our alumni for summer semesters. On top of our summer semester subject offerings, we support our alumni by providing referrals, offering proctoring services, and providing internship opportunities.

Programme Structure

Year 1

• Music Theory and Musicianship
• Audio Recording and Production
• Applied Contemporary Musicianship
• Recording Studio Techniques
• World Music

Year 2

• Contemporary Music Composition and Arrangement
• Audio Post-production and Mastering
• Applied Contemporary Musicianship
• Applied Sound Design
• Studio Composition
• Malaysian Music
• Music History: Classical to 20th Century
• Collaborative Projects

Year 3

• Research Project
• Popular Music Studies
• Arts and Society in Malaysia
• Creative Industries and Entrepreneurship
• Creative Project
• Internship

Electives: Choose either 1 in Year 3

• Topic Studies 1
• Topic Studies 2

Additional MOHE compulsory General Studies subjects

for Local Student

• Appreciation of Ethics and Civilisation
• Philosophy and Current Issues
• Community Service
• Bahasa Kebangsaan A (applicable to students who did not sit for SPM or did not obtain a Credit in SPM Bahasa Melayu)

for International Student

• Malay Language for Communication 2
• Appreciation of Ethics and Civilisation
• Community Service

Career Prospects

• Music producer
• Composer
• Mixing engineer
• Orchestrator
• Film composer
• Musician